Our group presentation was a success. We had a really fun and engaging PowerPoint presentation. After we presented, our class spent half an hour talking about the California budget deficit. Professor Coleman was not bashing our project, but he told us to consider several things. First, he told us to consider the government projection of how the budget is spent. Next, our TA (John) told us that it would have been interesting to see where the revenue came from which kinds of taxes. The discussion intrigued the entire class and we kept on bringing up different situations and alternate solutions. I agreed when Professor Coleman said "difficult decisions need to be made" in order to improve the economy in California and in the United States as a whole. He liked our presentation a lot and our group got a lot of compliments after class from various classmates.
Grace Yuen (we had dinner with her at L'Espalier) contacted me last night to schedule a meet-up on campus. I e-mailed the rest of the cohort and we met on the main green to discuss what we liked so far about Brown. Kathleen, Erinn, and I got interviewed by some Summer@Brown directors. Their footage of us is going to be on their FaceBook page sometime next year. Grace took us around campus to introduce us to her dean (who is teaching the Women in Leadership program for Cohort #2) and to some of her friends that we ran into in our travels. Grace knows a lot of people at Brown. She was an active student and a hard worker. Out of all the alumni and staff that I have met, I find that I connect with Grace the most. She is so easy to talk to and she is enthusiastic about our experiences on the east coast. She is also still a teenager at heart.
I was talking to my mom over the computer and I found that I did not really connect with the other current students at Brown University. Perhaps it is the age difference because I get along just fine with the Summer@Brown students. I have had conversations with RAs, RDs (program directors), and panel members, but I have never really clicked with them. Of course I have fallen in love with the Brown campus, but I find it difficult to fit in with everyone else besides the summer students.
Everyone that goes to Brown is intelligent and brilliant. The students are constantly thinking and making a difference with their research and application of their knowledge. I have been thinking a lot about why I am having trouble seeing myself at Brown. The girls on my floor share each other's SAT scores, and it amazes me how high they go. I know that a score from a test does not define a person, but it still bothers me. I would love to attend Brown University and study everything. Liberal arts seem like a good path for me because it would allow me time to find what I really enjoy doing and what I have a passion for.
This program has not only opened my eyes to the possibility of Brown University, but also to the grand options the east coast has to offer. There is great education, people, and adventure waiting for me here. I have two more days in the summer program, and then I head home on Sunday. It is going to be hard to leave.
We met up with the second cohort at Johnny Rockets. I was very happy to see my fellow ILC friends, with so little experience on the east coast. I just wanted to tell them everything about Brown, but Frank and Andrew told me that they should also find out for themselves. We ended the night with thunderous laughter and fun ice cream. They have finally come to their new home.
I am satisfied with my day once again. Until tomorrow, I will spend this night with deep soul searching.
Like Erinn wrote, Summer@Brown is not the same as actually visiting during the school year. I also had a hard time seeing myself at Brown until I spent more time with the alumni and visited again during the fall and the spring.
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